January 9, 2025
Dear Pennsbury School Community,
We are writing to inform you about a data security incident involving PowerSchool, our third-party provider for student information systems. On January 7, PowerSchool notified us of a data breach that has impacted many school districts across the country, including Pennsbury. Later yesterday, we met with PowerSchool representatives to understand the impact of the breach. PowerSchool reported that they are confident the data breach has been contained and that no data was misused, released to additional parties, or made publicly available.
What Happened
According to PowerSchool, their systems experienced unauthorized access from December 19 through December 22, 2024. Once the breach was discovered, PowerSchool’s security team took action to disable access to their systems and contain the breach. They are also working with the cybersecurity company Crowdstrike to address these events. Law enforcement was also notified. PowerSchool is actively continuing its investigation to prevent future incidents. Again, PowerSchool officials have stressed that they are confident that the data breach has been contained and that no data was misused, released to additional parties, or made publicly available.
What Information Was Involved
At this time, PowerSchool has shared that the affected data consists of the following student demographic information: names, student identification numbers, and grade levels. The following staff information was also affected: names and Social Security Numbers. Student Social Security Numbers were not impacted as we do not maintain them in PowerSchool.
What We Are Doing
Protecting the privacy of our staff and students is of the utmost importance. While the breach occurred within PowerSchool’s systems, we are committed to ensuring that it is fully addressed. We are notifying state and local officials, including law enforcement, of this incident. In addition, nationwide consumer reporting agencies will be notified, as required by law. Those employees whose Social Security Numbers were included in this breach will receive, at no cost to them, credit monitoring services for a period of twelve months and access to an independent credit report from a consumer reporting agency. In addition, students impacted by this breach will receive identity protection for minors at no cost. Additional information about these measures will be forthcoming, including how to opt-in and access these benefits. PowerSchool has assured the District that these programs will be provided at no cost to the District or any individual.
While the breach occurred within PowerSchool’s systems, we remain vigilant in safeguarding district data, including through the following measures:
- Utilizing multi-factor authentication for district accounts.
- Conducting regular security testing of staff email accounts.
- Monitoring PowerSchool’s response closely to ensure all necessary actions are taken.
We are also working directly with PowerSchool to ensure that the Pennsbury community receives all available information about this breach and will provide updates as new information becomes available.
What You Can Do
This event reinforces the importance of continued digital vigilance.
- Monitor your accounts: Be vigilant for any unusual activity in accounts linked to your or your child’s information.
- Be cautious of phishing attempts: Avoid clicking on unsolicited links or providing personal information in response to unexpected emails.
Next Steps
We are committed to keeping you informed as this situation evolves. We understand the concern this may cause and are dedicated to working with PowerSchool to address the matter transparently and thoroughly. As PowerSchool releases additional information, we will share it with the school community.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,
Tim McCleary, Director of Technology
[email protected]
215-428-4116
Thomas A. Smith, Ed.D, Superintendent of Schools
[email protected]
215-428-4111